140 



cane. Two or three different species were found, including probably Cercospora 

 sacchari, causing the so-called "eye spot disease" of the sugar-cane leaf, which is 

 of very minor importance. The remaining species are at present unidentified, 

 but it is confidently assumed that none of them are of a decidedly injurious 

 nature. Parasitic fungi are very rare in Negros — it was only occasionally that 

 a plant could be found that was infected by any fungus — and in no case was a 

 plant found to be badly infected. 



"Root rot," caused by various fleshy fungi, "red-rot," as noted above, "rind 

 disease," "top rot," or any other fungous or bacterial disease of a serious nature 

 was not observed by us in Negros. The matter was discussed with several 

 planters, and none of them could recall ever having seen any of the maladies in 

 question. The latter statement is, of course, of rather doubtful value in determin- 

 ing whether or not various diseases are or have been present, as an untrained 

 person might easily overlook them, or fail to credit minor injuries to his sugar 

 cane to the proper causes. ^Vhile it is not claimed that some or all of the diseases 

 mentioned above are not present in the Philippines, it is maintained that if they 

 are present, they are of such rare occurrence, that the damage being done by them 

 in the Philippines at the present time is a negligible quantity. 



As some attention had been given to the question of sugar-cane insects in 

 Negros about eight years ago, and as at that time few serious pests were 

 encountered, it was surmised that the reports this year might be exaggerated 

 and that there was no greater abundance of insects than usual. 



A careful investigation was made, therefore, over a territory of some 10 square 

 kilometers in the region of Cabancalan on the Hog River and about 2 square 

 kilometers at Bago farther north. Inquiries among the farmers brought out the 

 fact that for forty or more years sugar has been raised annually upon the same 

 plots of ground without recourse to fertilizers or rotation of crops, or even a 

 change of seed plants more than from one hacienda to another in the same 

 locality. 



Naturally any insects that might have a special predilection for sugar cane 

 would go on increasing slowly from year to year under a condition of practically 

 absolute immunity, excepting the possible attacks of natural parasites. 



The attacks of insects upon sugar cane, at the present time, can not be said 

 to be serious, except that in so far as they remain unchecked they go on increasing, 

 and it is probably only a matter of a certain number of years when it will be 

 impossible to raise sugar cane on those lands where farmers, instead of trying to 

 plow and cultivate as many times as possible in a season, seem to wish to do this 

 as few times as they can and never pay attention to rotation of crops or resting 

 the land. 



THE CANE BOOT BEETLE. 



(Holotrichia vidua Sharp) [Melolonthidce.'^ 



This beetle is probably the most serious pest in the sugar-cane region visited. 

 The larvse, pupae, and full-grown beetles were found in numbers in the ground 

 around the roots of first and second year calaanan,^ or ratoons. From a single 



^ Calaanan is a Visayan term used to designate cane which springs up after 

 the crop has been cut off a field. In the region visited as many as eight crops 

 have been harvested without a replanting of cane seed, or "puntas," as they are 

 called locally. 



